Hello, Aloha community! What a year it has been. Please know how much your continuing support means to all of us! We understand that folks are ready to get back to normal, but we’re not quite there yet. Our small (but very scrappy) staff is making plans to increase services, but we have to determine how to do so safely with a very small number of people available to get work done and meet safety requirements. We will roll out more as our circumstances change locally. Stay tuned for news about exciting facility changes we are making to improve experiences when you are able to come inside again! Until then, visit us at holds pickup service, attend programs online, and schedule online or phone meetings with librarians to get your questions answered! Thanks so much – we really do miss you!

Terri Palmer/Library Director

If you or someone you know is not able to visit the library to pick up holds, please give us a call. Patrons who live within a 10-minute drive of the library may be eligible for free delivery. We are not able to deliver to care facilities or assisted living. Deliveries will only be scheduled on Wednesdays and Saturdays, one delivery per household per week, limited spaces available. Call for details.

The library will be closed all day Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13 due to winter weather.

• Library holds pickup services closed on Friday and Saturday.
• Saturday book donation drive cancelled. Rescheduled for Saturday, February 20, 1-3 pm.
• Holds pickup service closed Monday, February 15 for Presidents Day.
• Have a hold waiting for pick up? Don’t worry! We’ll hold onto items through next week so you can pick them up safely after the storm.

Thank you for your understanding. Stay safe and warm, everyone!

Introducing our new Personal Browsing Service! 

Want to read or watch something new, but not sure what? Let us know what type of materials you would like by trying out our Personal Browsing Service, and library staff will pull a selection of books or movies just for you.

Choose from a preselected list of Quick Pick options available now on the shelves at the Aloha Community Library, or let us make a Personalized Selection of items customized to your interests. Just fill out the form online, or give us a call at 503-259-0185 to start your request today. Once you have been notified they are ready, your items will be available during our holds pickup hours. 

We look forward to browsing for you!

Washington County libraries have eliminated overdue fines. We will no longer charge for overdue materials, and if you had overdue fines — they have been removed from your account.

We have made this change because WCCLS libraries are for everyone – our libraries’ mission is to serve all residents of Washington County – equally, affordably and with easy access. Studies have shown that overdue fines most severely impact communities of color and/or with lower incomes, and don’t significantly promote the timely return of library materials.

So, this change was an easy, logical, happy choice for our libraries. 

Here are answers to some questions you may have about this change:

1. If I have overdue fines, what does this mean for me?

If you have overdue fines on your account, those fines have been removed and you can use your WCCLS library card online or at any Washington County library location. If you have replacement/damage charges, you will still need to arrange for payment. If you need help, please contact us.

2. Will there still be due dates? Will this increase my waiting time when I want to check something out? Will people keep things longer?

Due dates and checkout times will remain the same. We will continue to encourage timely return of materials and consideration for others through our automatic notice system. Libraries across the country who have already done away with overdue fines haven’t seen a difference in whether patrons return materials on time, nor have they reported an increase in late returns. We continue to charge for items that are lost or damaged, and accounts with more than $20 in lost items will be blocked from further checkouts.

3. Will this decrease libraries’ budgets?

Overdue fines are a very small percentage of WCCLS libraries’ budgets. Additionally, it costs libraries money and staff time to collect fines, a large portion of which will no longer be necessary.